Sit Happens
by Misty Mina
Summary: Gajeel was many things, just not obedient. But he'll learn what it means to be a 'good boy' when Levy Mcgarden is in danger and in need of a watchdog. How did this happen again? GaLe
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is not mine and if it was the story would be revolving around my fav. Couples!

**Author's note:** Well this is my first Gajeel/Levy story, I only mentioned them in my other fic. But this time I try my best to write about them, since I'm convinced that those two were made for each other. XD

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 1**  
>by Misty Mina<p>

Rain fell down upon him just like when he'd left Magnolia. Only this time, he didn't return as Gajeel Redfox. The Dragon Slayer had been on a rather difficult mission, one which was borderline S-class. A town had requested a strong mage or a team because they had a 'witch' problem. Or in other words, there was a woman who claimed to be a witch and terrorized the whole town.

When Gajeel had said woman cornered in a fight, he'd noticed quickly that all her magical power came from a strange amulet. So she was just a wannabe-mage without any magical potential.

He had used his magic to tie her up with a few metal bands. But she whispered a spell before he could take the amulet away. At that time he thought she couldn't finish it. Now, Gajeel knew better.

After he had caught the witch, he took his reward and left without looking back. It was a long trip back to Magnolia since that freaky woman had damaged the railroads between the two towns.

Spending the night in the forest was the only option he had. There were no villages or inns nearby. Not that he minded, there were worse things than that. Like the shock he had with the first rays of sunlight.

The forest sounded louder than the last time, when he was on his way to the strange town. Also the smells were different. Not stronger but different. When he tried to get up something else caught his attention. The ground was much closer than yesterday.

And he knew for certain that his legs weren't so hairy before. The mage, ...or maybe former mage took a few unsteady steps. He looked down and behind himself only to notice more freaky facts.

No clothes? Check! Black fur? Check! Tail? Check! ...Wait tail? Gajeel tried to use this foreign appendage and with a bit of willpower it started moving from side to side. Disturbed to no end, he made his way to a nearby pond. But what he saw in the water was not the rough face of a fighter. Something black with red eyes, a shaggy mane and a long, sharp snout was looking right back at him.

'_Oh, great. ...I'm a mongrel!'_

Through his life as a Dragon Slayer, Gajeel had been cut, stabbed, strangled, shot and almost killed. He could deal with that. But being in the body of an animal was new and he didn't know what to do.

With some difficulty he managed to hide his belongings in the forest. Since he couldn't find his clothes he assumed they were transformed into this new form as well. Hopefully they were... He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if the spell wore off while he was in the middle of town in broad daylight.

Maybe the Master could help him. Gajeel had no intention of being the laughing stock for the guild, thank you very much. He could already imagine what that idiot Slayer Natsu would say. Gajeel the Iron Pooch. The Dragon slaying Mutt! Just what he needed.

He should see things positive, maybe the guild members who still feared him wouldn't fear him anymore after that.

'_Yeah, like laughing in my face would be any better...'_

Shaking his black mane, he turned and continued his way back home. He could still worry about those things later. And if he was lucky enough, maybe nobody would recognize him at all.

It was late in the evening when the former mage arrived at Magnolia's gates and the rain came down harder than before.

It was no problem to enter the city, the guards never closed the gates anyway. Why should they? Nothing could happen with the strongest (strangest) guild in Fiore, could it?

Gajeel had a different problem. It was late and the guild was probably closed already. He would have to wait for morning to come. So where was he going to sleep? He couldn't return home since he had no keys with him. Pantherlily wasn't home either. The cat usually preferred to spend the night outside, even through rain, snow and hail. Gajeel was sure his partner had some kind of hideout like most other cats did.

A hideout sounded like a good idea right now. Just where should he go? The scrap yard? Perhaps the harbor? Maybe the train station? There was so much iron he could nibble on. Gajeel had discovered that even in this state, he still had a bit of his magic left. He could still eat iron and was quite strong for a mongrel. (No, he refused to use the term 'Dog'.)

Suddenly he heard something through the rain. It was faint like a whisper. But it sounded like a sob. As a human, perhaps he wouldn't have heard it.

What should he do now? Follow the sound or look for shelter? The now pouring rain almost made the decision for him if it wasn't for the whimper that followed the sob. There was someone! Someone who needed help!

'_Ah, maybe some _brat_ who got lost. ...Can't hurt to look'_

Gajeel kicked himself, Fairy Tail had made him soft. No wonder enemies didn't take him seriously anymore. Following the sound, he ran through the streets. It became louder and clearer with each step. A woman and she sounded like she was in trouble. The kind of trouble a woman always feared to get in when walking home at night.

He'd expected many things, just not what he found when he rounded the corner. There really was a damsel in distress. But he knew this damsel too well.

It was Fairy Tail's bookworm.

Levy was being attacked by a masked man. The poor girl was gagged and her wrists bound over her head and secured to a rainpipe. Eyes wide in fear she tried to squirm away from her attacker. But the stranger would have none of it, he spread her legs and pulled at her skirt.

This made Gajeel's blood boil with anger. Granted, he wasn't a gentlemen and yes, he had punched female mages before. He had no problem with fighting women. But he had never sexually abused a woman, nor would he start with it. This was something reserved for cowards and scum.

Without warning he stormed forward when the masked stranger ripped her skirt off. Gajeel tackled him to the side with all his strength. The man flew a few yards away and slithered to a stop on the wet street. The former mage stalked towards his prey with flattened ears and raised hackles. He made his intention quite clear by growling and baring his sharp fangs.

'_Come closer and you'll die!'_ It was not a threat, it was a promise.

The man got up and cursed when he saw Gajeel. He hadn't expected that someone would be out in this rain in the middle of the night. Least of all a huge stray like that big, black dog. He chose to retreat while he could and fled down the street. Gajeel had to suppress the foreign urge to hunt down his prey. It was bad enough that he'd reduced himself to growl at the attacker. He was no dog! Period!

He waited until the man was gone before he turned around to the still bound bookworm. Levy was a pitiful sight. She was dirty, gagged, her wet, blue hair was plastered to her head and her eyes were red and puffy. Her ripped skirt did nothing to cover her now visible panties. The Ex-Dragon Slayer was thankful for the fur or else the script mage would've seen him blushing. What really concerned him were her wounds. Scratches, grazes, bruises and rope burns were all over her petite body.

He tried to approach her, but the poor traumatized girl whimpered and cried even harder. Obviously he was still a frightening sight and somewhere deep inside, it hurt Gajeel to see her like that. Still frightened of him, even though she couldn't know who he really was.

Levy made an attempt to scramble away and didn't come very far, because her hands were still bound over her head. When he was close enough, Gajeel stopped and sat down like an obedient dog. It was certainly a blow to his pride, but he would take it.

'_C'mon bookworm, I'm not that bad.'_ At least he kept telling himself that.

A part of him could understand her. She had been through hell and now there was a dog besides her which might have rabies on top of that. Levy's sobbing ceased when he didn't do anything but stare at her. She looked up into his ruby eyes, still wary but less afraid now.

Gajeel stood up under her wary gaze and bit carefully through the ropes on her wrists. Judging from her wide eyes she couldn't believe what was happening. Gajeel sat back down, fully expecting the bookworm to scramble away again. Maybe to run away or to scream in fear. But this time, it was Levy's turn to surprise him. She removed the gag with trembling hands, still holding eye contact with him. Which would have been stupid if he was a real dog. But Levy was not thinking, she could barely comprehend the situation.

She reached out towards him in a traumatized daze and carefully patted his head. Gajeel felt humiliated. He'd growled, bared his fangs and performed 'sit' like a trained poodle. Now he was being patted like a 'good boy'... Oh well, what could he do? Bite her? ...That sounded wrong on many levels. Sitting still and hoping Levy saw that he was tame was the only thing he could do.

The Ex-Iron mage could only watch how Levy's tears began to fall again when she finally understood what had almost transpired. Her emotions were all a jumbled mess along with her thoughts. She hugged him while shaking like a leaf and cried into his black fur. And he let her. The day had been strange enough, one crazy situation more or less didn't matter anymore.

Here he was, disguised as a mutt by accident and here was Fairy Tail's famous bookworm, traumatized and almost raped. Both on the street. Both in the rain. Both comforting the other, even if the other didn't realize it. Now the only thing left to do, was for both to find a way to cope with the situation and the events to come.

~o~o~o~

tbc.?

Ok, the idea had been there for a long time and I've written down the plot along with many ideas. I just never had the time to write/type it down. So what do you think? Should I continue this or do I suck at writing those two? Be honest, ...or don't? ;-)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is not mine and if it was the story would be revolving around my fav. Couples!

**Author's note:** I know the chapter was short, but those are always more a spur of the moment chapters. Like when I'm in the mood to write and listen to the clacking sounds of my keyboard. It's kind of relaxing. Mina is strange like that. But you have something to read, don't you? So enjoy. XD

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 2  
><strong>By Misty Mina

Levy kept crying for what felt like hours. But Gajeel didn't even twitch. There were things he didn't wish to happen to anyone, much less a comrade. He would have to tell Makarov about that. Not that Levy got attacked, but that a rapist was on the lose in Magnolia.

The script mage lifted her head and looked at the canine again. She patted his head once more.

"Thank you." She smiled slightly.

Words couldn't even express her gratitude and she was sure her savior wouldn't understand them anyway. She knew she was acting silly by talking to an animal, but at the moment she couldn't care less. He saved her, that's all she needed to know. ...Was it a he or she? Levy snuck a peek. Definitely a 'He'.

If not for the fur, Gajeel would have been beat red with embarrassment. Did she have to do that?

'_Woman you have no shame!'_

Levy stood on shaky legs. Probably still in shock and cold from the rain. Hugging herself, she tried to get some warmth into her petite body. She still had to get back to the female dormitory, Fairy Hills. But after what happened she didn't feel courageous enough to go alone, not anymore.

Gajeel got up and went to Levy's side. He would bring her home and be done for the day. If he was lucky enough than he'd be normal by tomorrow, if not he could still try and get Makarov's help.

The small girl smiled at that. Now she had a stray on her hands who would follow her home. Not that she minded. But it felt like he was trying to protect her.

"I see, my hero takes me back home." She giggled.

'_Squirt, you don't know who you're talking to...'_

Gajeel knew he was everything, just not a hero. Antihero at best. Makarov may have saved him from the darkness, but he couldn't save him from himself. It would take more than a lifetime to repent for every sin which Gajeel had committed over the years. But he was making progress, one step at a time.

They walked through the empty streets of Magnolia and soon a huge building on a hill came into view. Gajeel had only heard of the girl's dormitory, now he knew why they called it 'Fairy Hills'. Maybe there was a Boy's dormitory somewhere in town as well? ...What did he care anyway? It was not like he was a good roommate or neighbor. He even doubted, he could live in such a place without going insane.

Levy placed her hand on the door. It glowed for a second before it opened by itself. A magical door! There was no need for locks. Only the occupants of the house could open it. Gajeel was about to turn around and leave, but Levy waved him in.

"C'mon boy, before Erza sees you."

The choice was up to him now. Leave or go with her? The few manners he had, told him to leave but his mind and common sense told him to stay. ...Well, ...Gajeel wasn't famous for his courtesy, right? Besides that, she invited him in. So nobody could say he took advantage of the situation.

With that he stepped through the door and followed Levy. ...Just like an obedient dog. He had to find a way to turn back quickly, before this could become a habit. The house was dark and seemed empty if not for the various sounds out of each room.

Levy didn't light a candle and didn't use magic either. She snuck to her room in hopes the other girls wouldn't find her. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain her ripped skirt and her new friend. The shock sat deeply in her and not even the walls of Fairy Hills could soothe her. But knowing her savior was right behind her was comforting.

She opened the door to her room quietly and held it open for her new companion. Gajeel entered cautiously and was assaulted with different scents. But the strongest were of old books, ink and a hint of something else. Mild, natural, plain and sweet.

Before he could really think about it, Levy knelt besides him with a towel in her hands. She looked at him warily, checking for any signs of discomfort or hostility. Gajeel knew he was dripping all over the floor and worst of all he started to smell like a wet dog. A curious look was all that Levy needed. She started to dry her new friend and was very careful around the pointy ears and the sharp snout.

Looking at him now, she noticed how big the dog actually was. If she wasn't mistaken, he almost reached her chest. Most of all, he didn't even really look like a dog. He looked more like a ...wolf. But he was much too tame to be one. Perhaps he was a mix out of both. A half-breed.

When Levy took the towel away and saw her, now dry friend, she burst out into a fit of giggles. He looked like a big, black ball of fluff. Gajeel didn't know what she was laughing about. For him this was nothing new. His own hair didn't look any different when he toweled himself off after a shower.

She had a hard time, but eventually she stopped giggling. "You must be hungry, boy. Just let me take a shower and change my clothes." Before Levy could get up, her friend nudged her wrist. The rope burns were still red and bleeding slightly. Yep, he was a smart one, alright.

"I have some ointment here. They'll be gone in the morning." With that Levy walked to the bathroom and dropped her ripped skirt on the way there. Even though Gajeel had seen her panties already he still turned around to give her some privacy. When the door closed, he took the time to look around. The amount of books in that room amazed him. If he had to read them all, he'd be busy for the rest of his life.

Metalicana might have taught him how to read, but he needed more time than others. His reading skills were slow and he had to pretend to be indecisive when choosing a new request from the board. All that just because he had to take his time to read through them. The last time he took a mission and read only half of it was almost his last. A repeat of that mistake was out of question! Thank you very much!

It was kind of sad. All that power he had paled in comparison to Levy's skills. He might be brute force, but that bookworm had the brains! It was something he'd realized when she'd solved Freed's enchantment and both Dragon Slayers could participate in the great battle of Fairy Tail. His strength did nothing to break the barrier, no matter what he did. But she could with a few written words. Back then, he meant it when he said that she was incredible.

Gajeel became impatient now, shouldn't she be done showering by now? Listening in, he could still hear the water running, but something was off. His canine hearing picked up another sound between the splashes of the water. Sobs. Levy was crying in the safety of her small bathroom. She was breaking down again. Gajeel should have known it was all a tough act, but what should he do? It wasn't like he could tell her that everything would be fine. Perhaps it was again time to resort to the degrading behavior of a 'dog'.

The Dragon Slayer-turned-mongrel scratched at the door and tried to get the script mage out of the shower. No, he would not whine! Definitely not! And if he had to break down the door, he would get her out of there without sounding like a kicked puppy! Thankfully he didn't have to whine. The water was turned off and after a few minutes Levy left the bathroom wearing a long, white bathrobe and toweled her hair dry. Her red, puffy eyes were all the proof he needed. Levy was everything but ok and wouldn't be for quite some time.

"I get it, you're hungry, right? Just a sec." Her voice was shaky, as if she would start crying again any second. She made sure to cover as much of her wounds as she could before leaving the room.

It was not really what Gajeel wanted, but at least the bookworm wasn't trying to drown herself in her shower anymore. As long as she was distracted, she would stop thinking about what had happened in that alley.

She returned with two bowls and set them down on the floor. For a moment Gajeel thought he had to eat dog food, but then he took a closer look. Sausages and cut into small pieces too. Iron might be his first choice, but this came right after it. The other bowl was filled with clear water.

Levy sat down on her bed and hung her head. "I know Bisca has some dog food, but I didn't want to take it without her permission. Besides, ...I need time... I ...don't want to see the other girls, ...not yet." She muttered. Ok, she was talking to an animal, but at least someone was listening to her without asking any question. Questions she might not be able to answer. Or worse. Uncomfortable questions.

Gajeel stared at her. The blue-haired girl was more distraught than he'd thought. Even after he'd crucified her to a tree, she still ran to one of her friends, but now? It was like she was, ...ashamed to meet their eyes.

'_Shit girly, don't tell me you blame yourself for that? That's utter bull!'_

The small girl rubbed her eyes in a tired way. She felt like the whole world was coming down on her. She shouldn't have been so careless! Maybe she should've taken Jet up on the offer to walk her home. And what did she expect? She was walking around in a skimpy skirt and a bikini top. Practically an invitation for perverts.

The lack of noise made her look up. No matter how many times she looked at her new companion, he still looked like a wolf to her, not like a dog. He also lacked all common traits of a dog. He didn't bark, he barely made a sound and didn't make a fuss when she was gone.

The black wolf looked at her as if he was reading her mind. But that was impossible right? It was an animal after all. Granted he was smart, but he was not human enough to understand what was going on inside her head. Still, his red eyes made her feel silly for thinking these things. It felt like he was scolding her. Maybe Bisca was right. Animals could pick up on a human's emotions and unconsciously calm them down.

Levy never had a pet before, ...maybe it was time to get one. Even if a wolf was an unusual choice. She smiled slightly at the thought of keeping her new friend.

Seeing that Levy was in a better mood Gajeel turned to the water bowl. It was no beer, but better than nothing.

'_So, ...how do they do this?'_ It was embarrassing really.

He had no clue how a mongrel, not 'dog', would drink their water. Perhaps like a dragon? By rolling their tongue a bit? He would have to try. It worked quite well and the Ex-dragon Slayer had to congratulate himself on that. But suddenly the bookworm said something that made him almost choke on the liquid.

"Gajeel...?"

~o~o~o~

tbc.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is not mine! Stop accusing me of stealing the characters. _*hides all charas in her closet*_

**Author's note:** Here is the third chapter for you and I would have updated already, but ...I ...got distracted _*sweatdrops*_ Also, I was indecisive whether to make the chapter longer or save it for the next. But I didn't want this to reach 20 pages, so that's for the next time. ^^

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 3  
><strong>By Misty Mina

Gajeel's heart had skipped a beat the minute Levy had called out to him. Had she found out? Or maybe she was looking for a reaction? After skipping a beat not a second ago, his heart started hammering against his ribcage. What should he do now? Each reaction could give him away. Trying to look as disinterested as possible, he looked around the room and sniffed the air. Just like a good dog. Hopefully she would buy the act.

"Hmmmm,..."

Now he did turn around to look at the script mage. The more he acted like a stupid pet, the better. She had a frown of concentration on her face, not really looking at him in particular. He knew that expression. She'd been like that when she lifted that blasted rune mage's barrier. What was going through her mind?

"No, ...Gajeel would be ticked off, if he knew I named a pet after him." But she had to admit, her new friend and the Iron mage had a few things in common. Black hair, red eyes and both had saved her. Gajeel from Laxus and the wolf from that rapist. Maybe she did read too much into this. She would always scold Bisca for humanizing her animals and now she did it herself.

Gajeel almost sighed in relief. She was only thinking of a name for him. But he had to admit, her first guess hit too close to home for his liking. If he wasn't careful, she would find out. Worst case scenario would be that he couldn't show his muzzle, ...uhm face in the guild for the next three years.

'_Hope it's not Fluffy...'_

"Uhm, ...Rex?"

The transformed mage couldn't suppress the glare, but thankfully Levy wasn't watching. The girl read so many books, yet the best she could think of was 'Rex'? Even he could come up with something better. No wonder she only read the books and didn't try writing one.

"...No, that's stupid."

'_Damn straight!'_

Levy took a side glance at the wolf. It was watching her with attentive eyes. Perhaps her rambling had caught it's attention. The light in her room was dim and the moonlight wasn't any better. But even with the light shining down on him, he still had that midnight black color in his fur.

"...Kuro!" Yes, that sounded good to her.

Gajeel had to blink at that name. Now really, wasn't that the same as calling him 'Blacky'? The bookworm wasn't really creative, but it was much better than Rex or Fluffy. He could live with that. From now on he'd be 'Kuro' for Levy, at least until he could turn back to normal.

With that he turned back to his meager meal and let his new 'owner' tend to her wounds. Tomorrow he would go to the guild and look for the master's help. But, ...what if Makarov couldn't help him? What then? He couldn't stay like this for the rest of his life! Besides, ...canines had a rather short life. No! Thinking like this won't get him anywhere. Gajeel had to be patient and bide his time.

...And keep an eye on the bookworm while he was at it. The girl tended to attract trouble wherever she went, with or without her so-called bodyguards.

~o~o~o~

Gajeel didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, the script mage was already up and shuffling through her books. Had she slept at all? Somehow he doubted it. Glancing at the clock near her bed told him it was only seven in the morning. Much too early for him to wake up and to go to the guild. The former mage stood up and stretched out his paws and his back.

"Morning Kuro." Levy had to scold herself for that. Greeting a wolf in the morning? What got into her? Humanizing an animal like that couldn't be healthy...Yet it felt, ...natural to do so.

The Iron user knew better than to try and answer her. It would only blow his cover.

'_Say bookworm, what are you doing anyway?'_ He cocked his head to the side in confusion. All he could see was that she rearranged her books from one corner to the other and back, then she put them back in the same place where they'd been anyway. Clearly a pointless task.

Levy had to distract herself. Thinking didn't do her any good. Neither did sleeping. Whenever she closed her eyes, the scene would play out before her.

Bound and gagged.

Helpless and frightened.

Humiliated and almost violated.

The nightmare was still in her. Still haunting her thoughts and crawling under her skin. She got up when the first rays of sunlight shone through her window and started to sort through her book piles. Those she wanted to keep, the ones she wanted to sell, some which belonged to other people and the books she needed for her magic.

This all looked very unsteady to the Ex-Dragon Slayer. The piles where huge and he was sure they would topple over if one merely looked at them the wrong way.

Levy put down the pile she'd been carrying in front of her bookshelf.

"We'll go out in a minute, just let me, KYAAA..." The catastrophe was about to happen.

Levy had taken a step backwards and stumbled over a book on the ground. Sleep deprived as she was, she hadn't seen it there. When she fell to the floor, she hit the bookshelf in the process. Gajeel could already see several books shaking and about to fall down on the petite girl.

Without thinking, he jumped over Levy and shielded her from the falling books with his body. It didn't really hurt, he'd experienced much worse. But for her, that would have left some nasty bruises.

Out of reflex, Levy had curled up and shielded her head with her arms. That was until she noticed the lack of pain. Looking up, she saw her new pet, her Kuro, protecting her from her own reading material. No whining, no whimpering and no barking from him. A wolf indeed.

"Kuro..." Levy rose slowly, still in awe about what had happened.

He had protected her again, even if it was just from the weight of written paper. Now she was sure that he was much smarter than she had expected. She lifted her arms and hugged him around the neck in gratitude. Levy didn't know how to treat a wolf or dog, but maybe this would make him understand.

Gajeel was sure he'd never been hugged this much in this life. ...Perhaps in a previous one. He couldn't even remember the last time somebody had done this to him before he'd joined Fairy Tail. He was sure, the blue haired girl would have never considered hugging him like that, if she actually knew his true identity.

The stomping of many feet could be heard and soon Levy's door flung open. Just as Gajeel expected, the rest of Fairy Hill's occupants, except for Mirajane, who was probably at the guild already, stood in the entrance and gaped at them.

'_What? Never seen a wolf?'_ Oh yes! This sounded much better than dog, pooch or canine.

Juvia and Bisca tried to squeeze themselves through the door around Erza who made the impression of a fish on land gasping for air.

"Le...Levy..." Erza started to stutter.

Oh crap. Gajeel hadn't thought of it before. The Titania was one of the most observant people in this guild. What if she'd already seen through his forced charade? Maybe coming to this place had been a bad idea after all. The red-haired dominatrix would whip his ass first and kill him later for invading the girl's dormitory.

Levy didn't release him when her friends stormed her room. Instead, she tightened her hold. She didn't want to see them. Didn't want to see anybody! Had she thrown away that torn skirt? Were the bruises still there? Had she overlooked anything that could give away what had happened?

It didn't slip Gajeel's attention how much the girl clung to him after seeing the others. If he wasn't mistaken, he could feel light tremors in her arms. She was trying hard not to shake in fear or panic.

The exquip mage pointed at the canine.

"What is a ...'wolf' doing here? Animals aren't allowed in the dorm!" Erza knew this wasn't a good enough reason, but she still tried.

What a relieve! If the redhead didn't recognize him, then Gajeel was sure most of the guild wouldn't either. Now he only had to convince Makarov that this was really him.

Levy loosened her grip and dropped her arms slowly. Good, they hadn't noticed a thing. Pulling herself together, she tried to act like her usual self. She frowned a bit at Erza's weak attempt to scold her, then she pointed to the female gunner.

"So? I have just one wolf! Bisca has a whole farm!"

If possible, Gajeel would have grinned at Erza's dumbfounded expression.

'_In your face Titania!'_

The green-haired cowgirl had a sheepish look on her face and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Ehehe, Yeah well, that's true." Bisca admitted.

But it wasn't like Erza to give in so quickly.

"You're smart Levy, don't you know that wolves are dangerous? What if this beast attacks you?"

Levy got angry over Erza's words. How dare she claimed that without knowing a thing? What did she know anyway? Just because she was the strongest female in the guild, she took the right to boss everyone around? Not with her!

She shot up from her position with her hands balled to fists, which startled everyone in the room, Gajeel included. And if glares could kill, the armor mage would've dropped dead by now.

"Don't say things you don't know anything about! He'd never do that! Kuro, he..." At that point Levy slapped her hands over her mouth. She got so mad that she almost let the truth slip. That the wolf had saved her from a rapist.

The armor mage was shocked over Levy's outburst. The timid girl had never acted like that, plus she stood up for an animal. Which meant something had happened.

Something that had gained the wolf her trust. Normally Levy was afraid of big animals. When they were children, she'd even avoided sheep. Not to mention something as dangerous as a wolf. Especially such a big exemplar.

"Kuro?" It was the only thing Erza could think of. She never thought she'd be thrown off guard by the smaller girl.

Gajeel was still a bit astonished by the bookworm's behavior. He'd learned the hard way that it was suicidal to go against the dominatrix. Yet Levy still stood up for him. Ok, well not for him in that sense. But she still went up against Erza, the Titania! Respect!

As if she'd noticed to whom she was talking to, Levy returned to her timid, little self. She started to play with her fingers and looked at the ground with her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Um, ...yeah. I... I thought it...was a fitting name."

"So? Kuro did what?" Erza wanted to know.

Oh, how would she get out of this? Levy didn't want to tell them the truth, friends or not. But she didn't want to lie to them either. Wait a second... She didn't have to tell them the 'whole' story, did she?

"He followed me home." Hey if it worked for kids, why couldn't it work for her? And in some sense, he did follow her home. It was not a complete lie.

Erza had to admit that a wolf wouldn't do that. They rather avoided humans or attacked them on sight in their pack. It was rare for them to be alone. Even rarer to be tamed. So if this specimen followed her home, just like that, then maybe he was not a pure-bred wolf.

The exquip mage had to relent. There was no use arguing about something like that.

"Fine, but if he makes a mess, you have to clean up. Ok?" With that, the self appointed dorm mistress left the room. Now that Erza was out, the others could take a look at their new resident.

Bisca and Juvia were hesitant to approach their friend. Who knew if her new 'pet' didn't see them as possible threats. Canines tended to think in a rather possessive way.

Bisca whistled.

"Wow Levy, ...you've got some guts there girl. Going against Erza like that."

The script mage blushed heavily. It wasn't like she'd planned it. It was just her anger getting the better of her. And since she rarely felt so angry, she usually had no reason to blow up like that.

"I, ..I didn't mean to..."

Juvia had scrutinized the wolf the whole time long. Something was off.

Gajeel glared at the water mage. He didn't really like her. In fact, he never had, not even when they were both in Phantom Lord. He tolerated her presence most of the time. In Phantom Lord she was only creepy, But now, she was much too lovey-dovey-girly-like and gushed over the smallest things. Especially if they had anything to do with the resident ice mage of Magnolia.

'_What?' _

Thankfully, he managed not to growl at her. That would be the last straw! Threatening people like a mongrel. If anything, he'd bite them without warning.

...He really had to stop thinking in dog terms.

"Juvia thinks he looks familiar." Even though Juvia had never met a wolf, she felt like she'd seen him before.

'_Oh crap!'_ Gajeel had forgotten that, as much as he didn't like the water maiden, she knew him best. The situation went from bad to worse!

"Really? ...Maybe you saw him somewhere?" Levy could imagine that he was a stray. Perhaps Juvia had seen him when she was on a mission. But...what if...

Meanwhile Gajeel had turned his back to the water mage as if to ignore her. He had little to no possibilities in this state. So he did the only thing he could think of. At least the only thing that would still leave him in the bookworm's good graces. To act like a,... he didn't even want to think that, ...like a good dog.

The gunner mage laughed out loud at that.

"Hahahahaha, I think, he doesn't like you Juvi. Hahaha."

Levy looked down and sure enough, the wolf really showed his back to Juvia.

"Kuro!" She used a chastising tone in her voice.

Gajeel looked up.

'_She started it!'_ Yes, blaming someone else was always better. Bisca had observed the wolf's behavior towards the script mage.

"You know, Levy. ...Your friend there is really smart for a stray. Maybe, ...ok this is just a thought, ...but maybe he belongs to someone and just ran away. You should ask around and if he's really a stray, then you can still keep him."

That was the thought she didn't dare to finish. What if he belonged to someone else? She would lose her protector. Lose her friend!

As much as she hated the thought, Levy knew it was the right thing to do. She had to look for a possible owner. But maybe, ...maybe if she would earn more money, then she could buy him? There was no harm in doing some work while waiting for that person to appear. And if nobody showed up, the better. She could use the extra cash.

"...Ok, ...I'll place an ad in the newspaper." It was reluctant, but she still agreed to it.

Satisfied with her answer Bisca left the room first, followed by a miffed Juvia. Obviously, the water mage didn't take lightly to being ignored, not even by an animal.

Sighing after they'd closed the door, Levy went to her wardrobe. She needed different clothes if she wanted to take on missions, especially if she wanted solo missions. Normally she'd go with Team Shadow Gear, but then she'd have to split up the reward between them. Levy liked to share and she liked her friends, but this time she wanted to be selfish. She wanted to keep Kuro, come what may.

Hopefully there would be some easy solo missions on the board today.

~o~o~o~

tbc.

Yup Gajeel is having the time of his life. Living undercover in the girl's dormitory is the dream of every man. XD

Review onegai?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is not mine and if it was the story would be revolving around my fav. Couples!

**Author's note:** Over 50 reviews? You are too kind. I'm so happy. ^^ No I haven't abandoned this story! How can you dear readers think that? Here is the next part. Explanation and all will be at the end of the chapter. Enjoy 'cause I've made you wait for too long. XD

~o~o~o~

**Chapter 4  
><strong>By Misty Mina

Levy never knew that her own guild could be so silent. Perhaps she should have given them a warning before she entered the building with her new friend. To be honest, she hadn't given it much thought. And now? From the looks of it, half of the guild was confused and the other half was scared of her new pet.

"Uhm, ...hi guys." Oh yeah, that went really well. The script mage felt like slapping herself.

Droy held his hands out in a placating manner. Was this directed at her? She was not mad or anything.

"L-L-Levy, don't make a-any hasty movements. Just walk over h-here, ...slowly."

Oh, so that was meant for Kuro? Ok, he was quite big and looked dangerous, but she knew her friend was a protector at heart. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done so already, right? How could Droy be so shallow and judge others by their appearance?

"Oh Droy stop that! Kuro is my new friend. You act as if I had a killer machine besides me."

"...You named that thing?" For Droy, he couldn't even describe the creature next to her. It looked like it had stepped out of his nightmares. It was too big for a dog, it had red eyes and it was black like the night itself.

Gajeel took this all in with unusual indifference. It was not the first time he was referred to as a 'thing', even before he turned into a mongrel. In fact, that was one of the nicer words for him. People had always judged him by his appearance and had called him many names. This was nothing new. At the moment, his only concern was to find Makarov and make him understand what had happened on his mission.

"That's not a 'thing', that's a wolf and yes, I named him Kuro! You better get used to him Droy, because I want to keep him and I will take him with me on missions. So he's a new member of Team Shadow Gear!" Levy didn't shout or yell, but it still felt like it to the plant mage. Normally Jet would back him up, but his friend had yet to make an appearance in the guild.

Gajeel gave his new 'owner' an annoyed side glance.

'_Oh goody... I feel special now.'_ Gajeel never had the intention to join a team and especially not Team Shadow Gear. The midget was ok, but the two halfcocked Yokos ticked him off.

Erza had watched this with a pleased smile. It was about time that Levy put her overprotective teammates into their place. Although Droy wasn't as bad as his counterpart Jet, it was still something which had to be done. Maybe Levy's new friend would be good for her after all. That wolf gave the timid girl a reason and the courage to speak her mind freely. She was always too considerate of others and put their thoughts and opinions before her own. A cage she created without knowing.

As if on cue, the whole guild started their lively noise again, celebrating the new addition of Team Shadow Gear. Nab and Warren teased Droy for being a coward, while Elfman congratulated Levy for acting like a man. Erza merely patted her shoulder, which was of course more than the petite girl could handle.

Gajeel took the opportunity to look around for the Master. Sniffing him out was almost impossible. His senses were above human standards when he was a dragon slayer and now, with this new body, they'd been enhanced. He could sniff ten thousand things and it confused him greatly. So he tried to ignore it as much as possible. The good thing was, among the familiar scents of the guild, Salamander's scent was missing. A good sign, really. It meant the pink haired nuisance was out, perhaps on a mission with bunny girl and his blue fish-muncher.

As far as he could tell, the old man was not at the bar and not in the guild hall. The next options would be his office or out, groveling in front of ERA and explaining the guild's recent 'accidents'. The ex-dragon slayer still wondered why the council hadn't locked the fire fool away yet for being a hazard to himself and others, since most of these events were on Natsu's account anyway.

Sneaking around the guild was quite a task when the eyes of many curious members tried to seek out their new 'comrade'. But he managed to get to the top floor where the guild master's office was. He'd been there a few times. Mostly to give Makarov an update on his miserable son.

Gajeel looked up towards the door knob. It wasn't so high, he could reach it with his nose if he stretched his back. But he wouldn't be able to open it without hands. There was this nice invention called 'Door Handle', something he could manage without hands. Why couldn't the master use these instead?

Well, he could whine and growl, perhaps even bark ...and would inform the whole guild of his whereabouts in the process. Not to mention it would look suspicious. He'd fooled Titania once and Gajeel was sure she'd catch on if he tried anything which was above the average intelligence of a canine.

Gajeel shook his head. No way! He would not act like a dog if it wasn't an emergency or to keep up his act. Suddenly, Gajeel caught a movement from the right side. There in the dim hallway stood Pantherlily. The Exceed was in his smaller form and frowned at him.

Pantherlily had seen how Levy, or the 'bookworm' as his partner liked to call her, had entered the guild with a huge animal. But, ...there was something familiar about it. The cat had followed the black beast and was surprised to see how it walked to the Master's office while dodging curious glances. How aware was this canine? Maybe it was a disguised enemy? A mage who could transform like their own Take-over mages?

Gajeel was quite sure his partner wouldn't recognize him. Even though the Exceed could use his nose just as well as a dragon slayer, he never did. Pantherlily never really bothered to remember the scents of certain people. The Exceed race tried to differentiate themselves from wildlife by copying mankind. Which also meant that sniffing around like a common animal was out of question.

Pantherlily wasn't sure if this was an enemy or not, but he wouldn't stand around and wait for the possible enemy to make the first move. He transformed into his battle form and drew his sword which he always kept with him. Then he pointed it at his opponent.

"Friend, ...or foe?" The cat asked in a low voice.

Gajeel didn't take lightly to being threatened, not even by his own partner. He suppressed the growl which his new instincts demanded of him. Before the cat could react, the wolf in front of him had snatched the tip of the sword between it's teeth and bit it off with a resounding 'clang'. Pantherlily held his breath when the wolf actually chewed and swallowed the metal. Normally, a death sentence for every creature in this world, ...except one.

"...Gajeel?" The Exceed's eyes couldn't get any bigger.

'_Finally!'_ Gajeel was frustrated enough to howl at...No! He wouldn't finish the thought!

"What, ...how..." The cat was lost for words. He knew he should've gone with him on that mission. But as usual, Gajeel's pride got the better of him. Said he could deal with a woman and wannabe mage. Now look what happened.

The ex-dragon slayer was glad. Finally someone knew who he really was and he could count on Pantherlily to keep his mouth shut. Now the second one who has to know was Makarov. Gajeel turned his head and stared at the door. Hopefully his partner would get the hint.

Door? ...Master's office... of course! Maybe Makarov could help. Pantherlily was still a bit shocked over the new situation. So it took a bit longer before he got Gajeel's trail of thought. He knocked at the door for Gajeel and when a muffled 'Yes?' could be heard, he opened it.

"Master?" Now how to explain this?

Makarov looked up from the documents on his table. Half of it were bills and the other were angry letters from the people of other towns.

"Hello Pantherlily. If this is about Gajeel, I have to disappoint you. I haven't received word from him yet." The Exceed had been in his office yesterday already and asked for his partner. The dragon slayer was overdue and as Master of the guild, Makarov had heard that the job had been finished already.

Pantherlily shifted awkwardly in his battle form.

"Uhm ...no need, ...I've... found him."

"Oh really? Is he at home or in the guild?" Makarov had to discuss a few things with him.

"He's right ...here."

"In the guild then?" The cat surely acted strange.

Gajeel couldn't take this nonsense anymore. Pantherlily was beating around the bush and it was frustrating him. He'd never been a patient person and he certainly wouldn't change his ways now. Was it really so hard to say that he got turned into a mongrel somehow?

He let out a huff and walked around the table. Maybe Makarov was too small to look over the surface to see him. The old man almost fell out of his chair when the big wolf was right besides him. Rolling his eyes, Gajeel did his first (and he swore it would be the last) trick and performed 'sit'.

Unlike Pantherlily, it didn't take long for Makarov to recognize the iron user. The eyes, the fur and the magic which surrounded him like mist. It was nothing but a flicker of his former magical power, but still there. Yes, this was definitely Gajeel!

"...No wonder I haven't heard from you for so long." Makarov mused out loud.

'_No shit, Captain Obvious...'_ Gajeel shot him an evil glare. He needed help! Some kind of spell or potion or whatever it was that could turn him back.

"So the mission was just partly a success then. Pantherlily would you leave us alone for a second?"

"Certainly." With that the Exceed left the office and turned back into his smaller form. But instead of leaving, he remained in front of the door. He would make sure that Gajeel's secret would be kept secret. This guild had a tendency for eavesdropping.

Inside the office, Makarov frowned at the Ex-dragon slayer. Gajeel couldn't stay like this and he doubted that the spell would go away by itself. But first things first, he had to find a way to communicate with him.

"I think the easiest way is that I ask questions and you either nod or shake your head, got that?"

A nod.

Makarov leaned back in his chair, trying to think of the right questions to ask. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The one who put the curse on you, was it the witch?"

Another nod.

This 'witch' was just a normal human. To execute a curse would mean she'd used a magical object or an artifact.

"Did she use something? An amulet perhaps?"

Gajeel noted that the Master was quite good at these guessing games. He nodded again. That damn amulet! He should have destroyed it while he could and claim that it had been an accident. But no, the council wanted to study that thing.

"I see. Means a lot more groveling in front of the council members. But I need some time for that. In the meantime, do you have a place to stay?"

Nodding again. Levy had yet to tell the master that he was a 'new' member of Team Shadow Gear. Gajeel shuddered at the thought.

Levy, ...right. Thinking about it now brought up the incident from last night. How could he let Makarov know what was going on? He doubted he could write with a pen in his muzzle. Frowning he tried to think of a way when suddenly they heard Levy's voice from downstairs.

She was calling for someone. Makarov went through the names in his guild, but there was nobody named 'Kuro'. The Ex-iron user huffed heavily, stood up and walked slowly to the door. That alone was enough for the master, he didn't need any further explanations.

"Soooo, you're staying with Levy-chan? In the girl's dormitory? A coincidence, I hope?" He couldn't help but tease Gajeel a bit. When would he get another chance like this? The wolf merely gave him a side glance. In his opinion it wasn't worth getting all riled up about the old man's comment. Levy needed help, he was close by and she practically dragged him home. End of story. If someone had told him that this would happen a few days ago, he would've laughed at the poor guy before wringing his neck.

"But maybe it's not such a bad idea. I've been meaning to give you another mission when you came back."

Now this sounded personal. Not like handing out that slip of paper with the details and be done with it. No. It sounded more like the time when Makarov had first asked him to infiltrate Raventail. He surely could spare another second before Levy would come upstairs to look for him, uhm, no...Kuro. Besides Pantherlily wouldn't let her enter this room without the master's permission. Gajeel cocked his head to the side and back indicating for the old man to continue.

"I've gotten notes from neighboring towns. It's a warning. Apparently there has been a serial rapist on the loose for a few months. He'd been already in Hargeon, Kumugi, Oshibana and in Calik. At first there was no connection, but the royal guards found one. The victims look all the same. Young girls around 16 – 18 years, thin, pretty cute, quite small and ...blue hair. Sounds familiar?"

Of course it did. If Gajeel went by description only, he'd say it was the bookworm for sure. So that guy from yesterday was him? As much as it annoyed him to have gone soft while being a member of this guild, he was glad he listened to that part and that the midget was ok.

Unconsciously Gajeel let out a growl which the master interpreted as anger.

"Right. Originally, I wanted you to look into this matter. But now that the situation has changed, I think, you should do something else. Since you're Levy's new 'pet' now,..."

Gajeel growled again. Makarov just made it sound so, ...perverted.

"...you can easily watch over her. I want you to be Levy's bodyguard until this is over."

The ex-mage didn't know how to tell Makarov that he already had an encounter with said criminal. But maybe it was better this way. Nothing had happened and he would keep an eye on the shorty from now on. Nodding once, he turned back to the door. Only to notice that he still had no hands and there was no door handle either, just this blasted door knob!

The master had to keep in a laugh when Gajeel looked up at the door knob and his pointy ears went flat.

"Pantherlily, please come in." And in his mind Makarov continued the sentence with: 'And let Gajeel out.'

The Ex-iron user stepped to side. The last thing he wanted was a door in his face, ...muzzle. He slipped out the moment the cat opened the door and went to a different hallway. Just right in time before Levy found him.

"Kuro, there you are. Don't run off like that. Let's go, I have the perfect job for today." The blue haired girl was quite happy. Not only did she find an easy solo mission, it also paid well. And after a short chat with Mirajane, the waitress would make sure to reserve all easy solo missions for her. Now there was only one thing left to do and it left a sour taste in her mouth. But it was on the way to her job and she promised Bisca to do it.

Outside the guild, Gajeel let her lead the way. Now that he knew what was going on, the midget wouldn't leave his sight. Taking a good look at her, he noticed that the incident had left it's ugly marks on the girl. Gone were her carefree clothes and happy-go-lucky aura. She wore her orange dress which she also had in the battle of Fairy Tail and a light jacket over the bare shoulders. All in all, she made sure not to leave one spot of her skin bare and if she could have covered her face, he bet she would have done so. Then she avoided the looks of many men. Always looking to the ground or away. She almost jumped out of her skin when a guard approached her and from Gajeel's point of view, the guy was more frightened than her.

"M-M-Miss, i-it's a-against the law for a d-dog to run around w-witho-out a c-collar."

' _WHUT? A collar? Oh hell, no! No way am I going to wear a shitty leather band with a name on it! Forget it!'_

This was bad. She forgot that dogs had to wear a collar in town. So even if Kuro, as a wolf, wasn't a real dog, he still was considered one. She didn't want to buy one of those cheap ones in the pet shop. Besides, she doubted Kuro would like wearing it since he didn't have one to begin with. ...Wait a second. The law said it had to be a collar, but not what kind of collar. With quick movements, she untied her yellow checkered headband and tied it around Kuro's neck. She had to admit, it looked better on him than on her.

"There, problem solved. Anything else?"

The guard stood there totally dumbfounded. He knew this wasn't what he meant with the word 'collar', yet it still was one. But it was more in awe of the courageous girl in front of him. She just tied the headband around that beast's neck and wasn't afraid at all.

"N-no, that's all. T-Thank you for your c-cooperation." He stuttered out.

Gajeel had watched this in silence and without making a fuss. It was certainly strange to wear something around his neck that wasn't a scarf. But the headband wasn't suffocatingly tight and if he was honest, he didn't even feel it. The bookworm was quite resourceful when she wasn't around those two idiot mages.

Looking around, he noticed how the citizens eyed him. It was not much different than before. People had always looked at him with some kind of fear in their eyes. Well he didn't mind, it would keep them off his back and away from his charge. That certainly made his job easier.

Levy started walking again with her faithful shadow beside her. People were looking at her strangely. Some with respect, others in amazement and a few in wonder. They seemed to think she had tamed this wolf all by herself. She felt like laughing out loud. If they just knew the truth. Kuro wasn't a savage beast. No, he was gentle, kind and very protective. And she wanted to keep that by all means. So stopping in front of this building was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.

Gajeel looked up when she stopped and before him stood the building of the most read magazine in Fiore.

The Sorcerer magazine.

~o~o~o~

tbc.

It has been a while since I have updated the story. To my shame, I must say I got distracted with many things. First would be cosplay! Yeah the costumes won't sew themselves. Second would be my private life, despite being a fanfiction author, I do have one. And third would be my new obsession and choice of pairings. I think a few will know what I'm talking about. Yep Runestar shipping has a 'very' tight grip on me. LOL and I'm already working hard on the ideas and wrote a notebook full with them. XD Just have to type it. ^^ I hope Gajeel was more in character now, because I know he's really the 'Sir Curse-a-Lot' of Fairy Tail. XD

And about the Juvia and Gajeel being friends part. Well admit it, Juvia is the only one who thinks like that. Gajeel never said that. But she's also the one who says that Lucy is her love rival and that Gray and Leon have something going on together. (Juvia's pandemonium?) You see? It's all in 'her' head.


End file.
